The present invention relates to an improved shroud for mounting an accessory device to headgear. The shroud described herein may advantageously be used in connection with mounting assemblies for attaching night vision devices and will be described herein primarily by way of reference thereto. However, it will be recognized that the shroud herein may be used with all manner of helmet or other headgear mounted accessories devices.
Night vision devices are used by military personnel, law enforcement personnel, and so forth when conducting military or tactical operations at night or under other low light conditions. Commonly, a mounting system is employed on the front of the user's headgear, such as a field helmet, to provide hands free support of the night vision device in front of the eyes of the user. Such mounting systems typically provide vertical, lateral, fore-and-aft, and tilt adjustment mechanisms for alignment of an attached night vision device with the eye or in the case of a binocular device eyes of the user. Mounting systems are known which allow the user to pivot the night vision device up to a stowed position out of the user's line of sight when not in use without removing the night vision device from the helmet.
Although mounting assemblies are known that allow the user to pivot the night vision device out of the way when the night vision device is not in use, it is often desirable to completely remove the night vision system and the mounting system from the headgear, e.g., during the daytime, in order to reduce helmet weight and strain on the user's neck, when entanglement hazards exist, etc. Commonly, night vision mounting systems are made removably attachable to a helmet through the use of a mounting bracket or shroud, as described, for example, in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,370. Such shrouds attach to the headgear with threaded fasteners using one or more holes drilled through the helmet. Standardized hole patterns have been developed, such as the Army-compatible single hole pattern and the MARSOC/WARCOM three-hole pattern. The use of standard hole patterns allow helmets to be pre-drilled to accept any shroud compatible with that hole pattern.
Typically, such helmet shrouds are machined using aluminum or other metal and include a receptacle for removable attachment of the mounting assembly. It has been found, however, that the manufacturing tolerances of the prior art shrouds are such that there is generally some clearance between the receptacle of the shroud and the interfacing portion of the mounting system, which results in a small amount of movement or play between the shroud and the mounting assembly. If has also been found that the process of repeated removal and attachment of the night vision mount creates wear, resulting in greater clearance and play between the shroud and the mounting assembly.
The present disclosure contemplates a new and improved shroud assembly that overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.